Millinery design – Blocking with felt and straw

Master the art of millinery and learn how to create and design hats at this beginning hat blocking workshop. In this class you will work with felt and straw using hat blocks and you will learn a wide range of classic millinery techniques. Jeanne Bjorn, your experienced instructor, will give you expert guidance throughout the day. Topics that will be covered on the course include:

Couture finishing techniques

Free form sculpting using steam and added objects to create shape

Useful techniques for changing hat size and making trims

Blocking on hat blocks with felt and straw

Using millinery wire and other millinery materials

Attaching embellishments and head size ribbons

Sizing the hat

No prior experience is needed. The class starts at 9am and finishes at 4pm. Enrollment is limited to 4 students per session, giving each participant the opportunity to receive ample attention.

Course code: Millinery Design B100

Dates: January 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19, February 12, 13, 14, 15, & 16, March 13, 14, & 15, August 28, 29, & 30

Jeanne Bjorn has been designing and constructing clothing, millinery, shoes and costumes professionally since 1980. Having a degree in Textiles and Fabric Design, and having studied Flat Pattern Design and Draping as well as professional experience at various manufacturers such as Ellen Tracy and Perry Ellis, she began designing her own line of Women's Designer Sportswear in 1980 in SanFrancisco, California. She was a member of The SanFrancisco Design Network. Her designs have been featured in Sportswear International, Women's Wear Daily, California Apparel News, The San Francisco Examiner, The San Jose Mercury News, The Rocky Mountain News, and The Oregonian.

Jeanne relocated to New York in 1985 where she designed custom and private label clothing for various retailers, including Barneys New York and became increasingly interested in costume for stage and film. She worked on Broadway productions, as well as films, including Hook, and the Oscar Awarded - The Age of Innocence. In 1990, Jeanne began studying Millinery Design at The Fashion Institute of Technology. While studying, she constructed head pieces for The Rockettes' 1992 Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall and for the Finale of Broadway's Tony Awarded "Crazy For You." She also developed her own line of millinery for wholesale accounts including: Barneys New York and Objects of Desire in Lexington, KY

Jeanne began teaching Millinery Design in 1994, as well as continuing her interest in Costume Design, working for various dance companies, including Jan Justis Dance Co., Tina Gerstler Dance Works, and Kim Robards Dance Co. In 1995, she returned to New York for a time to work as Head Milliner for Eaves-Brooks Costume Co. Over the past ten years, she has taught Millinery Design at The Colorado Institute of Art, D'Leas Fabric & Button Studio, The Oregon College of Art and Craft, and at her studio in Portland, Oregon. In 2000, she studied shoemaking with Gaza Bowen and now teaches shoemaking in her studio in Portland, Oregon.